This application seeks funds from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) to support construction of the CIVD being established at the CHORI. The Center will consist of new laboratories, core facilities and office spaces suitable to house the research, research training and research support activities of several integrated scientific programs. The investigators who will occupy the Center conduct molecular, cellular and clinical studies in the inter-related areas of immunobiology, infectious diseases, pathogenesis, vaccine development and vaccine evaluation. As a group, the CIVD investigators have 18 extramural awards with total direct costs in year 2001 that exceed $3 million of which 75 percent derives from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Dan Granoff will be the Scientific Director of the Center. Dr. Alexander Lucas, Deputy Director of Medical Research at CHORI, is the Principal Investigator (PI) and will be responsible for the space utilization and the administrative management of the Center. CHORI has made a substantial financial commitment to this project and has designated the CIVD as a high priority in its Strategic Plan. Approximately 8,000 sq. ft. of undeveloped shell space will be used for construction of the CIVD. The Center will provide interactive laboratory and office spaces as well as specialized shared core facilities, such as a Biosafety Level 3 (BSL3) facility and a DNA clean room for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assembly. Construction of the CIVD will expand investigators' research capabilities, promote programmatic interaction and growth, increase training opportunities, and permit recruitment of additional scientists.